RICHMOND, Va. -- Richmond City Council and Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney met Monday to discuss their options to restore order to the city.
Monday marked the 25th straight day of protests against police brutality and racial injustice.
Monday night's protests ended with Richmond Police declaring an unlawful assembly and using tear gas disperse a crowd that organized a sit-in outside Richmond City Hall.
At 12:42 a.m., an Unlawful Assembly was declared at Richmond City Hall on Marshall Street. Please leave the area immediately. Failure to disperse will result in arrest. pic.twitter.com/3NmAsRBli9
— Richmond Police (@RichmondPolice) June 23, 2020
Earlier in the day, Richmond City Councilwoman Kim Gray said safety concerns surrounding the protests were mounting.
“If you’re coming to be peaceful and affect change, I 100% support that. But if you’re going to terrorize and vandalize our city, I have no patience or tolerance for it,” Gray said.
Gray said the City Council is attempting to expedite the removal of four confederate statues on city property as a matter of public safety. But, she said, there are legal hurdles that must be considered.
A new state law that gives Richmond the power to remove statues goes into effect on July 1.
“Any laws that are made we have to follow what the state allows us to do at the local level,” Gray said. “If there’s a legal means to expedite this process, we will pursue every legal means.”
As some demonstrations become more volatile at night, some city leaders expressed concern that the Black Lives Matter Movement has been compromised by extreme groups, including people attempting to take down statues, vandalizing public property, and clashing with police and other peaceful protesters.
Gray said she’s been confronted three times by people brandishing a firearm and has received several calls from people living in her district, claiming that some demonstrators are wearing assault rifles as a form of intimidation and not in compliance with open carry laws.
“It’s very unsafe when we have people from separate groups brandishing firearms,” Gray said. “It’s terrorizing and I’ve said it over and over again, that should not be tolerated. It’s against the law and the intimidation needs to stop. People’s civil rights are being put in jeopardy and it should not be tolerated on any level.”
To help restore order, state officials have now closed the grounds around the Robert E. Lee Monumentevery night at sunset. Agencies have also barred banners, flags, posters, and other objects placed on or around statues. Police are now enforcing the break up of unlawful assemblies by large groups of people without permits.
Despite the new policies, dozens of protesters remained on the grounds of the Lee statue on Monday night. Other protesters put up tents around City Hall, dubbing it a “Reclamation Square” aimed at changing public policy.
Police broke up the City Hall protest after midnight.
Last night, protestors made their way to what they call #ReclamationSquare.
— Gabrielle Harmon (@_GabbyHarmonTV) June 23, 2020
On social media, some say they were at the sit-in listening to protest organizers.
This morning, police declared an unlawful assembly after saying the sit in was impacting public safety. @CBS6 pic.twitter.com/OObm12fjy1
